The invention relates generally to hygienic covers for toilet seats and more particularly to a generally semi-rigid, replaceable cover which conforms in shape to the top surface of a toilet seat.
Replaceable covers for toilet seats have heretofore included paper or plastic devices designed to be discarded after a single use. Such disposable covers are usually effective for hygienic purposes in public restrooms, where each user will discard the cover after a single use. Such disposable covers are less desirable in situations where a user stays for a time in lodgings such as a motel, hotel or as a guest in the room of a private home. For someone residing in temporary lodgings, single-use disposable toilet seat covers often are inconvenient and wasteful. For example, someone staying for a short time in a motel or private home, with exclusive access to a private bathroom, might want the hygienic security of a personal toilet seat cover but would find it inconvenient to have to position a disposable cover on the toilet seat repeatedly during their stay.
It would be advantageous to be able to provide a replaceable toilet seat cover which, upon installation, provides assurance of a hygienic toilet seat provided for the user's exclusive, temporary, personal use, but which is not intended for disposal after each use. It would also be advantageous to provide such a replaceable toilet seat cover which is semi-rigid and can snap over the toilet seat and remain in place.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semi-rigid, replaceable toilet seat cover formed from a sheet of thin, moldable or formable material designed to provide a hygienic toilet seat surface for guests.
Another object of the invention is to provide a replaceable toilet seat cover with a protective film covering on its surface for the user to peel off before using the toilet 10 seat, ensuring that a fresh seat cover is being used.
Still another object of the invention is to provide replaceable toilet seat covers formed of a semi-rigid, resilient material which is sufficiently resiliently deformable to permit a plurality of the toilet seat covers to stack together in nested fashion to facilitate storage and dispensing of the covers, and to help in the storage and recovery of used covers.
Accordingly, a replaceable toilet seat cover is provided comprising a semi-rigid body formed of a sheet of thin moldable resilient material shaped to cover the top of a toilet seat. The body of resilient material extends generally around a central opening along the top of the toilet seat and has depending sides extending along portions of the sides of the toilet seat. Engaging surfaces are provided on the depending sides for engaging the toilet seat to retain the body of the cover on the toilet seat.
The toilet seat cover preferably includes a broad, elongate expanse of resilient material which extends around the central opening to form part of the top surface of the cover. One of the depending sides is an inner side which curves inwardly and downwardly from the top surface into the central opening. The other of the depending sides is an outer side which curves outwardly and downwardly from the top surface. The inner and outer sides generally conform in shape to the inner and outer sides of a toilet seat. The top surface and sides of the cover define an elongate concave channel on the underside of the cover, between the inner and outer sides. A toilet seat fits in the channel. At the terminal edge of each side of the toilet seat cover are inner and outer edges along which engaging surfaces extend. The engaging surfaces are preferably each in the form of a bead of moldable resilient material which engages the underside of a toilet seat.
Yet another preferred embodiment of the invention includes provision for a protective, removable film of flexible sheet material which can be removed from the cover to ensure that the cover is fresh and sanitary and was not previously used. A tear-off barrier extending across the central opening of the toilet seat cover can also be provided to ensure that the cover has not been previously used.